Lav Mic Shootout – High End Mics

Awhile ago I was doing research on some high-end Lav mics, as I was looking to upgrade from my Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier, which I use regularly.

During this research I came across this great video comparison by Chad Johnson where he demonstrates all of the more popular high-end lav microphones.

In his video, Chad discusses signal to noise ratio and some personal thoughts of the mics that he’s demonstrating. But you are free to make your own conclusion after hearing the individual mics tested in the video.

After watching this video, my personal favorite was the sound from the Rode Lav mic. It sounded the most ‘realistic’ and I really like the interchangeable connection options of the mic.

Here’s some of the mics mentioned in this comparison:

Something to else to keep in mind, most the mics tested (and the links listed below) are for just the mic. The wireless units or extension connections are typically sold separately, except for the Sennheiser EW 112P (ME-2 mic) is the only system which comes with the full wireless setup and the mic. So if you are in the market to invest in a high-end lav or mic system you will want to research wireless or other mic connection options.

In regards to wireless mic systems, the Sennheiser EW 112P is one of the more popular units used by many youtube video/filmmakers. Offering a wireless mic and wireless reciever unit perfect for run-gun shooting.

For those of you not ready to invest in one of these high-end wireless setups, you can check out my Zoom H1 “pocket pouch” setup episode where I talk about how to setup a cost effective ‘wireless mic’ alternative which I typically use in most of my videos.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70JfNPwx-B8[/youtube]

Obviously, these high-end mics listed in this article are much more of an investment then the more commonly used ATR-3350 Lav or H1 Zoom mic/recorder setups, but audio is such an important part of video/filmmaking, eventually it’s something worth investing in.